Steven Melton Jr. Pleads Guilty to $212,000 SNAP Fraud Scheme

U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester announced that 41-year-old Noble, Oklahoma, resident Steven Eugene Melton, Jr. has admitted guilt to SNAP benefits fraud and the theft of government property.

The plea, entered on November 2, 2026, concludes a federal investigation into a sophisticated scheme where Melton operated a fraudulent business to siphon hundreds of thousands of dollars from federal nutrition programs. According to public records, Melton used a non-existent entity called Wrights Farms to process illegal transactions, effectively turning a purported farmer’s market into a vehicle for large-scale theft.

The Wrights Farms Deception

The mechanics of the fraud began in June 2023. Melton applied to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service for authorization to accept SNAP benefits at Wrights Farms. To secure this approval, he did not use his own identity; instead, he provided the name, date of birth, and Social Security number of an individual who had no knowledge of or involvement in the operation. The Food and Nutrition Service approved the application on June 6, 2023.

Once the sham business was operational, Melton began processing payments through fraudulent accounts. These accounts were obtained using fake or altered identification cards. Between June 2023 and May 2024, Wrights Farms processed approximately $212,194.58 in SNAP benefits. Melton admitted during his plea that he converted these funds for his own personal use rather than for the intended nutritional assistance of eligible citizens.

The investigation was a coordinated effort involving two major federal oversight bodies:

The United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General

Following the investigation, a federal Grand Jury charged Melton on May 19, 2026, with theft of government property and SNAP benefits fraud.

Federal Crackdown on Benefit Abuse

On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the formation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division, or the “Fraud Division.” This new unit is specifically designed to target individuals who commit fraud against the American public and federal programs.

The Fraud Division’s activities are meant to assist President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, which is a whole-of-government initiative led by Vice President J.D. Vance. The goal of this task force is to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within federal benefit programs.

Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Krista Hodges-Eckhoff is handling the prosecution. As Melton awaits sentencing, he faces a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison.

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